CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 104, 23 October 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

AIfOXG THE BLACKS. Dr. Woolnough, the geologist of the scientific, expedition which .recently visited the Northern Territory of Australia, has given an interesting' description of viiiic of the native inhabitants of the I crritory to the Sydney Morning Herald. He says that the expedition was unable to visit the wildest portions of the country, where the blacks are quite uncivilised, but the explorers met lanrc numbers of natives along the Roper and .Macarthur rivers. Some of them were existing in a very primitive state, but the white men experienced no trouble with them, although the Roper River blacks have a very unsavory reputation. Large numbers are emploved on the buge cattle stations of the Territory. I'licy are extremely well treated, and they do very good work as stockmen, the women finding employment on the -.tations as well as the men. Where they arc living under fairly natural conditions they appear to be strong and healthy, and Dr. Woolnough believes that. I hey are not decreasing, ||c thinks tlie black-, are very well oil' on the Ration-, and it would be hard to device any scheme for bettering their position. Their tribal laws, which are very strict, are administered by the old men, fo whom the young people are completely subservient. • The natives are very good to 1 lieir chiMren ;ilid to the old folk, who are supplied a lways with the bind. In their wild state the black.-. knoAv few troubles. There are some very large tribes in the almost unknown country near the l)aly and I'itzmauricc rivers, but they live an easy life. Lily roots provide all the vegetable food thev require, and game i- plentiful. Dr. Woolnough says that the men are superb hunters. They light huge grass lives to ifriv the kangaroos from their cover and then spear them. Tin' range of a spear hurled with the aid of a t lirowing-stick is very considerable. and up to forty or fifty yards the niarkmanship is very good. The natives impressed Dr. Woolnough very favorably. and he savs that the traveller who (reals them kindly and firinlv has nothing to fear from them. Dr. Woolnongh's opinion agrees with that expressed recently by other scientists who have gone among the blacks in Australia's darkest territory.

TO TIKLI' THE MAX OX Till' > LAXD.

The Unai<l of Agriculture at Home is j adopting an important system, under I which tlic English fanner, it is hoped, ' will be made ijuite. up-to-date in his l methods. It is proposed that a special expenditure of .toO.OOO should be; made each vear for a system of agricultural research which will secure for each group of tin- problems affecting rural industry a share of attention roughly proportional to its economic interest; (2) the concentration of the scientific work on each group at one institution or at institutions working in combination; (:)) grants for special investigations for which provision may not be otherwise made: (4) the grant of scholarships with a view to the increase of the number of men fully qualified to undertake agricultural research: (5) the carrying out of investigations into problems of local importance. especially those' involving the application of modern research to local practice, and the provision of scientific advice for farmers on important technical questions. The Hoard of Agriculture. it seems, lias been impressed with the importance of securing continuity in work which is necessarily of considerable' duration, and at the same time of providing staffs of specialists and Experts who will be permanently engaged on work- arising from the, investigation of the same group of problems. By this means concentration and economy of effort will, it is felt, be better secured than it would be if a number of institutions were dealing at the same time with the same group of problems, ft is also considered important to avoid the giving of undue attention to one -part of the field of agricultural research to the exclusion of other parts which are of equal scientific and economic importance. With these considerations in view, it has been arranged that grants should be made for research in the following groups of subjects:—Plant physiology, plant, pathology and mycology, plant breeding, fruit growing and the treatment of plant diseases; plant nutrition and soil problems, animal nutrition, animal breeding, animal pathology, dairying, agricultural zoology, and the economics of agriculture. It further appears that a sum not exceeding .£3OOO per annum will be available for assistance in respect of special investigations for which provision is not otherwise made. In order tu secure the services of a number of carefully trained men for work in connection with the scheme, the Hoard of Agriculture will offer in each of the years Ml, 101-2 and l-'.IKI twelve scholarships of the value of ;£ 1.1(1 per annum, tenable for three years. Grants will also be made to certain universitiies. university colleges, and agricultural colleges in England and Wales for the purpose of enabling them to supply scientific advice to farmers on important technical questions and to carry out investigations into problems of local interest which can be more conveniently studied on the spot than at one of the research institutions. By means of these grants it is hoped to provide an expert staff possessing both scientific and practical qualifications who will devote themselves to solving difiicult local problems. and in other ways endeavor to secure the application of science to practice.